FOR TODAY
Outside my window...well right now it is pitch black and I hear the wind battering the house.
I am thinking...about the many things that need to be done before Christmas and how on earth am I going to accomplish them.
I am thankful...for having a house to shelter us from this winter weather. I know even when things look bad we have so so much to be thankful for.
From the learning rooms...more nativity. Today the kids and I read stories and talked about the animals that were present at the birth of Jesus.
In the kitchen...I tried yet another new Christmas recipe...Eggnog Fudge. Haven't tried any yet, but if we like it I will make sure to post it.
I am wearing...I SHOULD be wearing something more comfy...time to break out the pj's
I am creating...nothing at the moment. Lots to get done before Christmas though...
I am going...to bed soon
I am wondering...if everything will work out the way I hope
I am reading...I am actually in between books right now! gasp! That never happens!
I am hoping...the same thing I am wondering
I am looking forward to...hubby's Christmas party this weekend. Haven't been on a "date" without the kids since the summer!
I am hearing...the iron chef
Around the house...Christmas mess everywhere. All the decorations are up, now to get all the boxes put away. Sigh...
One of my favorite things...my ipad, which I profess my love to daily
A few plans for the rest of the week: Music class tomorrow
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Homeschooling pre. K Christmas
Lately I been thinking lots about homeschooling. When I initially started researching it back when Avery was a baby, I was very much drawn to the Waldorf philosophy. Now that my kids are getting older and I have having a chance to watch how they learn, I have come to see than an eclectic mixture of many styles of homeschooling fit my kids and our family best. It is all about how your kids learn best and what you want them to learn that is important in homeschooling.
Now technically I am not homeschooling...not in every sense of the word anyway. Avery attends a 5 day a week morning Jr. K program, which he started attending last year for his speech. We were so impressed with his progress and his teacher was phenomenal! I truly believe we could not have done for him what school did for him last year. This year on the other hand being that he is in the same program again (he is too young for kindergarten here) with a less enthusiastic teacher I find he is not being challenged and getting quite bored. I have always been an active teacher in my child's lives but more recently I have started actually planning out a "curriculum" It has been difficult at times but very rewarding to be the one to not only decide what my kids learn but to be the one responsible for teaching them! Taylor has not been in any sort of preschool program thus far so it has been amazing for me to see her soaking up everything I throw at her. She has been watching her brother do his homework and has been begging for her own.
There are so many neat activities I wanted to do with the kids to celebrate Christmas, so I decided to plan out a December homeschooling plan. Basically we are studying the Nativity for the first week or so, then onto Christmas decoration and lots of crafts and baking. The last week before Christmas will be our gingerbread theme week. Can't wait till that!
For our nativity week we start our "lesson" with a story. Today we read B is for Bethlehem. After our story we do our table work. My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE worksheets...and I must admit I like them too! I found a great pack of work sheets at 1plus1plus1equals1. I printed the pack and have been using them how I see fit.
Yesterday we cut out what I called nativity cards and hung them up on the window by the kitchen table where we do our work to remind us of who the nativity story is about. We then did our J is for Jesus worksheets to practice our J sound and that is our letter for the week that we are talking about whenever we get the chance. The kids glued pom poms onto their letters and had a great time. Then they practiced writing their letter J.
Today after our story Avery practiced writing Mary, Jesus etc. and Taylor did some tracing activities. Then we played a fun game that I made up to use with the alphabet sheets in the printable pack. I called out a letter and they had to find that letter on their sheet and put a sticker on it. Big success! After that was done they drew pictures for baby Jesus.
So far the kids and I are having a blast with our learning and cant wait to keep going. Will keep you posted!
Now technically I am not homeschooling...not in every sense of the word anyway. Avery attends a 5 day a week morning Jr. K program, which he started attending last year for his speech. We were so impressed with his progress and his teacher was phenomenal! I truly believe we could not have done for him what school did for him last year. This year on the other hand being that he is in the same program again (he is too young for kindergarten here) with a less enthusiastic teacher I find he is not being challenged and getting quite bored. I have always been an active teacher in my child's lives but more recently I have started actually planning out a "curriculum" It has been difficult at times but very rewarding to be the one to not only decide what my kids learn but to be the one responsible for teaching them! Taylor has not been in any sort of preschool program thus far so it has been amazing for me to see her soaking up everything I throw at her. She has been watching her brother do his homework and has been begging for her own.
There are so many neat activities I wanted to do with the kids to celebrate Christmas, so I decided to plan out a December homeschooling plan. Basically we are studying the Nativity for the first week or so, then onto Christmas decoration and lots of crafts and baking. The last week before Christmas will be our gingerbread theme week. Can't wait till that!
For our nativity week we start our "lesson" with a story. Today we read B is for Bethlehem. After our story we do our table work. My kids LOVE LOVE LOVE worksheets...and I must admit I like them too! I found a great pack of work sheets at 1plus1plus1equals1. I printed the pack and have been using them how I see fit.
Yesterday we cut out what I called nativity cards and hung them up on the window by the kitchen table where we do our work to remind us of who the nativity story is about. We then did our J is for Jesus worksheets to practice our J sound and that is our letter for the week that we are talking about whenever we get the chance. The kids glued pom poms onto their letters and had a great time. Then they practiced writing their letter J.Today after our story Avery practiced writing Mary, Jesus etc. and Taylor did some tracing activities. Then we played a fun game that I made up to use with the alphabet sheets in the printable pack. I called out a letter and they had to find that letter on their sheet and put a sticker on it. Big success! After that was done they drew pictures for baby Jesus.
So far the kids and I are having a blast with our learning and cant wait to keep going. Will keep you posted!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Advent 2011
So how has it happened that it has been a year already that I have abandoned my blog?! Why does it seem that as every winter season comes upon us I feel the urge to write and reflect? If only I could keep it up all year! This year will be the year! Who am I kidding!? Life is so busy in our neck of the woods. With Avery attending Jr. K every morning as well as soccer and skating, and Taylor doing ballet, and Reid terrorizing the house now that he is walking! I can't believe he is 14 months already...and oh yeah did I forget to mention I am expecting #4 this spring!We have so much fun here in this house or ours, amidst the chaos and I always find myself thinking, " why didn't I take a picture of that, or write that down!" I really want this blog to become just that. I always read such neat ideas on other blogs that I often tweak and try in our home and I want people to be able to do the same thing from mine. With advent just beginning I have so many awesome things for the kids to do as well as for all of us as a family. I would love to share them all with you. I am going to try!First I should tell you about what we are doing as a family to prepare for advent. And when I use the word advent I mean it in the catholic sense, not the store bought chocolate sense! For Catholics advent is suppose to be a time of quiet waiting and anticipation of the joyous event that lies ahead. We try to have all our Christmas shopping done prior to the start of advent because nothing can put you in a worse mood than being stuck in a crowded mall. Now that our kids are getting a little older, Avery being 4 1/2, we are Starting the tradition of the Jesse tree. Which in case you are not familiar with the term is a family tree for Jesus. I made mine out of felt and we hung it on the wall right by our kitchen table. Every night before we eat dinner we read the appropriate verse from the bible and the kids put on the matching ornament.
Tonight was the story of creation in Genesis and the ornament of the earth. We then then pose a question to the kids to get them thinking about what we read in the bible.seeing as I read from our adult bible I fell this part is important to help the kids understand the sometimes difficult language. Tonight I asked them what can we do to help take care of the earth that god created? Right away Avery said we could share with people that don't have any food. WoW! What a moment. Earlier today I gave him a grocery bag with peanut butter and jam in it to take to school and told him it was for the Christmas hamper. He said, "Christmas camper?" LOL! I then explained that the food in the bag was going in to a big box to be given to people who didn't have enough money to buy their own food for Christmas. I didn't get much of a response out of him and figured he either didn't really understand or that it didn't apply to him so he forgot it instantly. Boy was I wrong! It is so amazing what can happen when you really just sit down and talk with your child! They are amazing little people. Anyways, after we talked about helping to take care of the earth. We said a short prayer thanking god for creating the earth and then we lit the first candle on our advent wreath and ate our dinner. The advent wreath is another way we are celebrating advent. We light the candle every night during dinner and keep the wreath on our table at all times. The kids seem to always enjoy eating with candles, maybe it is the flickering of the flames or the mysterious glow but it always seems to make dinner a little more enjoyable.
During advent my kitchen is always a bustle of activity! I try to keep meals fairly simple or economical as a way to spend more time with my kids and in a way to not overindulge what with all the sweets I am busy creating! I love trying out new Christmas recipes to see which ones will become keepers and make it into the yearly repitorie . Today we made:EGGNOG CUPCAKES and they were fantastic!!! Seriously the best cupcakes!!
For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg¼ cup
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
For the frosting:
20 tbs. butter, at room temperature
2½ cups confectioners' sugar
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2½ tbsp. eggnog
For garnish:Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg Cinnamon sticks
Directions:To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg, and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggnog and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, blend in the rum. Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg, and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired.
Nativity Carnival that I joined up to, feel free to do the same!
Tonight was the story of creation in Genesis and the ornament of the earth. We then then pose a question to the kids to get them thinking about what we read in the bible.seeing as I read from our adult bible I fell this part is important to help the kids understand the sometimes difficult language. Tonight I asked them what can we do to help take care of the earth that god created? Right away Avery said we could share with people that don't have any food. WoW! What a moment. Earlier today I gave him a grocery bag with peanut butter and jam in it to take to school and told him it was for the Christmas hamper. He said, "Christmas camper?" LOL! I then explained that the food in the bag was going in to a big box to be given to people who didn't have enough money to buy their own food for Christmas. I didn't get much of a response out of him and figured he either didn't really understand or that it didn't apply to him so he forgot it instantly. Boy was I wrong! It is so amazing what can happen when you really just sit down and talk with your child! They are amazing little people. Anyways, after we talked about helping to take care of the earth. We said a short prayer thanking god for creating the earth and then we lit the first candle on our advent wreath and ate our dinner. The advent wreath is another way we are celebrating advent. We light the candle every night during dinner and keep the wreath on our table at all times. The kids seem to always enjoy eating with candles, maybe it is the flickering of the flames or the mysterious glow but it always seems to make dinner a little more enjoyable.
During advent my kitchen is always a bustle of activity! I try to keep meals fairly simple or economical as a way to spend more time with my kids and in a way to not overindulge what with all the sweets I am busy creating! I love trying out new Christmas recipes to see which ones will become keepers and make it into the yearly repitorie . Today we made:EGGNOG CUPCAKES and they were fantastic!!! Seriously the best cupcakes!!For the cupcakes:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg¼ cup
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
For the frosting:
20 tbs. butter, at room temperature
2½ cups confectioners' sugarPinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2½ tbsp. eggnog
For garnish:Ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg Cinnamon sticks
Directions:To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the rum, eggnog, vegetable oil, vinegar, and sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until well blended. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling the cups 2/3 full. Bake 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, 20-30 seconds. Add in the powdered sugar, salt and nutmeg, and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the eggnog and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 4 minutes. With the mixer on medium-low speed, blend in the rum. Fill a pastry bag with the frosting and decorate the cooled cupcakes as desired. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon or grated nutmeg, and garnish with cinnamon sticks if desired. Nativity Carnival that I joined up to, feel free to do the same!Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Pantry Challenge wrap up!
Back at the beginning of January I joined up with the pantry challenge over at Life as Mom.
It is now February, and the pantry challenge is officially over.
Drum roll please...
This past month I have used up almost all of my canned goods and many things in my pantry that I just kept pushing to the back because I didn't know what to do with them! I tried to incorporate what I had in my pantry into every meal plan and this helped to lower my food budget for the month. My goal was $70 a week which was INSANE but I am proud to say it came out at $90 a week. I am VERY happy with that. I did take a closer look at what type of groceries I bought with my $90 a week and I am proud to report that I didn't buy a single convenience item this month. I cooked almost every meal from scratch and did a lot of baking with the kids.
The biggest portion of the money spent ($130) went to meat. I wasn't surprised at this, I didn't have much in my freezer to begin with and the hubby and kids LOVE meat. We do eat meatless usually once or twice a week so I am thinking one way to try to lower this in the coming months is to try out some more vegetarian/vegan cooking and use dishes that call for smaller portions of meat instead of meat being the focal point of the meal. If anyone has some great recipes for me send them my way.
The second largest portion of money spent ($77) was on fruits and vegetables. I was happy with this, as I think a large portion of your food budget should go to healthy, fresh food for your family. Unfortunately living in the north in the winter we pay more for fresh produce than elsewhere and there are no gardens or farmers markets to pick from. I look forward to the summer once again where I can get local, seasonal produce. Until then my kids will happily eat piles of cheap bananas from costco. Seriously, they are so cheap there.
Now the pantry challenge is over I am wondering where to go from here? This challenge has inspired me to take a hard look at what I am buying, how much I am paying for what I am buying, and what I am cooking with what I am buying. In the month to come I am hoping to restock our pantry with sale items, look for new vegan/vegetarian recipes to try and keep using coupons.
*On a note about the coupons, one of my goals was to use more coupons and I am getting better. Living in Canada we don't have near as many coupons as our neighbours in the states, but I tallied up and my coupons this month saved me...$9.25. It sounds lame but every little bit adds up right?
It is now February, and the pantry challenge is officially over.
Drum roll please...
The biggest portion of the money spent ($130) went to meat. I wasn't surprised at this, I didn't have much in my freezer to begin with and the hubby and kids LOVE meat. We do eat meatless usually once or twice a week so I am thinking one way to try to lower this in the coming months is to try out some more vegetarian/vegan cooking and use dishes that call for smaller portions of meat instead of meat being the focal point of the meal. If anyone has some great recipes for me send them my way.
The second largest portion of money spent ($77) was on fruits and vegetables. I was happy with this, as I think a large portion of your food budget should go to healthy, fresh food for your family. Unfortunately living in the north in the winter we pay more for fresh produce than elsewhere and there are no gardens or farmers markets to pick from. I look forward to the summer once again where I can get local, seasonal produce. Until then my kids will happily eat piles of cheap bananas from costco. Seriously, they are so cheap there.
Now the pantry challenge is over I am wondering where to go from here? This challenge has inspired me to take a hard look at what I am buying, how much I am paying for what I am buying, and what I am cooking with what I am buying. In the month to come I am hoping to restock our pantry with sale items, look for new vegan/vegetarian recipes to try and keep using coupons.
*On a note about the coupons, one of my goals was to use more coupons and I am getting better. Living in Canada we don't have near as many coupons as our neighbours in the states, but I tallied up and my coupons this month saved me...$9.25. It sounds lame but every little bit adds up right?
Monday, January 31, 2011
Home Organization binder
Well January is coming to a close, and am I organized yet? Maybe...halfway there. The pantry challenge was a success (will post on that fingers crossed tomorrow) and my other goal was to create a home organization binder. Seeing as I have never had one before I am starting off rather basic to see what works for us and what doesn't. In the past I have always used a giant wall calendar (which I LOVED), as well as an agenda off and on. Bills and important paperwork didn't really have a home (kitchen counter doesn't count!) until I filed it away.
My new binder starts off with a yearly calendar, then a school yearly calendar. Next every month I have a monthly calendar page where there is room to write notes, important dates and a list of all bills due that month and when they are due. Right after that page I am hole punching my bills and putting them in the order they are due in. I am liking this so far.
Next I have another monthly calendar page where I can see a monthly view of appointments, kids activities and whatever else. Then I start going by week. Every week I start of with a weekly to do list. I LOVE LOVE LOVE lists. I am much more productive when all my tasks are written down and I can check them off when I have completed them. I have even contemplated buying those little gold star stickers that teachers use just to use for when I complete my tasks. No I am not kidding! I am thinking in the weeks to come of starting chore charts with my 2 oldest so that will be my excuse to buy the stars.
Next I have a weekly overview which pretty much is like a weekly agenda page where I can view my week at a glance. I write more specific goals on this than I would on the monthly calendar. For example today Jan.31 Monday I have the following notes: AVERY- NO SCHOOL, BAKE: orange oatmeal bread (recipe in later post) Lunch: ?
My last sheet for the week is my grocery shopping list with meal plan, you can get your own here $5 Dinners
At the end of my binder I have some lined paper that I am using to plan out the themed crafts for the month and what materials I need, as well as any projects I have on the go. I really need to get started on curtains for the kids new rooms and book slings for them. I always have so many project ideas and NO TIME!
Things I still want to add to my binder are something for my coupons. I don't use too many so I think a simple envelope will work. Also something to write down our expenses every month, nothing complicated as a lot of our expenses remain pretty constant. Also looking for something to organize my thoughts on the activities I do in the home with the kids. I don't homeschool but I firmly believe that it is still the parents primary role to teach your child. Avery goes to Jr.K 4 or 5 mornings a week but in the afternoon it is quite common for us to do a craft, storytime, baking or other activity based on a theme that I have planned out in advance. Seeing as my kids are so young I keep the plan very loose and flexible dependent on time and the mood that day. If any of you homeschooling moms out there want to share some advice on planning pages for preschool children I would love to hear from you!
Do you have a household notebook or binder? I would love ideas and comments from you!
My new binder starts off with a yearly calendar, then a school yearly calendar. Next every month I have a monthly calendar page where there is room to write notes, important dates and a list of all bills due that month and when they are due. Right after that page I am hole punching my bills and putting them in the order they are due in. I am liking this so far.
Next I have another monthly calendar page where I can see a monthly view of appointments, kids activities and whatever else. Then I start going by week. Every week I start of with a weekly to do list. I LOVE LOVE LOVE lists. I am much more productive when all my tasks are written down and I can check them off when I have completed them. I have even contemplated buying those little gold star stickers that teachers use just to use for when I complete my tasks. No I am not kidding! I am thinking in the weeks to come of starting chore charts with my 2 oldest so that will be my excuse to buy the stars.
Next I have a weekly overview which pretty much is like a weekly agenda page where I can view my week at a glance. I write more specific goals on this than I would on the monthly calendar. For example today Jan.31 Monday I have the following notes: AVERY- NO SCHOOL, BAKE: orange oatmeal bread (recipe in later post) Lunch: ?
My last sheet for the week is my grocery shopping list with meal plan, you can get your own here $5 Dinners
At the end of my binder I have some lined paper that I am using to plan out the themed crafts for the month and what materials I need, as well as any projects I have on the go. I really need to get started on curtains for the kids new rooms and book slings for them. I always have so many project ideas and NO TIME!
Things I still want to add to my binder are something for my coupons. I don't use too many so I think a simple envelope will work. Also something to write down our expenses every month, nothing complicated as a lot of our expenses remain pretty constant. Also looking for something to organize my thoughts on the activities I do in the home with the kids. I don't homeschool but I firmly believe that it is still the parents primary role to teach your child. Avery goes to Jr.K 4 or 5 mornings a week but in the afternoon it is quite common for us to do a craft, storytime, baking or other activity based on a theme that I have planned out in advance. Seeing as my kids are so young I keep the plan very loose and flexible dependent on time and the mood that day. If any of you homeschooling moms out there want to share some advice on planning pages for preschool children I would love to hear from you!
Do you have a household notebook or binder? I would love ideas and comments from you!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Routine put on hold
Oh my, a week has gone by and I haven't blogged. I do have a very good reason. Last weekend our new baby Reid, came down with a little cough. Being that it is winter and both the other kids were down with colds in the previous weeks, I wasn't unusually worried. By monday night however it was obvious that this was no normal case of the sniffles. Reid was having trouble breathing and was inconsolable. I rushed him to the ER where we spent the night getting blood work, a chest X-ray and working with a respiratory therapist. The next day we found out he had tested positive for RSV which was causing bronchiolitis which was why he was having trouble breathing. He was put on inhalers and after 3 separate trips to the hospital we finally got his breathing under control. His fever finally broke yesterday and it seems like he is through the worst. He is still wheezy and needs his inhalers frequently but is back to his sunny self and we are so thankful for that.
We have company arriving tomorrow and so it might be a few more days before I get back to my regular posting.
We have company arriving tomorrow and so it might be a few more days before I get back to my regular posting.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Book Club 2011
The snow is finally lessening here...can you believe it? The sun made a rare visit today. The roads are still horrible but getting better. Thank goodness. We have been trapped in the house for far to long. Avery is getting over his cold and went back to school this morning, and tomorrow Reid has a checkup.
So I am officially joining Book Club over at Life as Mom.
I plan on reading the assigned reading as well as whatever else I feel like adding on. The first book is The Happiness Project which is due Feb.10. I just got lucky and ordered it from my library for my ipad e-reader and got it right away!! Can't wait to start. Please check out this book club and link up over at Life as Mom and leave me a link in the comments. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to read and would love to hear what everybody is reading.
This should be so much fun!
So I am officially joining Book Club over at Life as Mom.
I plan on reading the assigned reading as well as whatever else I feel like adding on. The first book is The Happiness Project which is due Feb.10. I just got lucky and ordered it from my library for my ipad e-reader and got it right away!! Can't wait to start. Please check out this book club and link up over at Life as Mom and leave me a link in the comments. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to read and would love to hear what everybody is reading.
This should be so much fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)